I have not seen it mentioning about the barbecue from South America (Brazil and Argentina), and the famous "Churrascarias"? Those are really delicious. And there are a lot of "Churrascarias" in the US - Brazilian Barbecue - e.g. Fogo de Chão, which means Fire on the Ground. And they keep serving you, and serving you, and serving you....

I savored your article on Barbecue with gusto, but found it to be heavy on the nostalgia and light on the economics. As you note, the essence of memorable barbecue is rooted in the personal craftsmanship of the chef and in the labor-intensive process of smoking. Sadly, for every successful restauranteur, there are many shuttered monuments to the difficulty of eking out a profitable return on their investment. Artists require patrons, and in such economic times as these, boutique artisans become history all too easily.

Having lived in Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia, I have enjoyed a variety of Bar-B-Que. Here on a cold snowy day in Kentucky and reading your article, I have become very hungry. But, I am to old to be out, so I will just dream of it.

Please, remember that Bar-B-quing and grilling are two completly different things. You may heat up a grill and throw on some porkchops, all within an hour, but that ain't Bar-B-Que!!!

I realize that affectionados make a technical distinction between grilling and barbeque, but I think most of the world is a little more flexible in its definitions. Many of us consider any sort of cooking over live coals to be grilling/barbeque. I personally have a fondness for asian open-fire cooking, like Korean barbeque or yakitori -- the perfect snack!

As an Alabamaian I was puzzled by the reference to mayonnaise in Northern Alabama BBQ. Was the author referring to the cole slaw that we put on top of a pulled pork sandwich? I reviewed many recipes and recipe books, particularly those by Big Bob Gibson of Decatur, Alabama, who is renown for his BBQ, and mayo is not a common ingredient in the sauces themselves. I am curious where mayo fits in.

I agree that the distinction being made by some between BBQ and grilling is far too esoteric. Here in Calgary, Alberta by the Rocky Mountains I hunt big game each fall in the mountains. (Sheep and elk mostly). My young hunting buddy and I cook the meat course over a wood fire each night. Whether beef, pork, chicken or whatever, ALWAYS a superb course.

Thank you for a thoughtful examination. This is a good piece that seems to capture the feeling. One quibble: the white sauce referred to as charactaristic of Northern Alabama is a variation specific to Huntsville, AL and doesn't replace the traditional sauce but instead is used with white meats as an alternative choice. It is in no way traditional. I suspect it is an addition that came in via the NASA establishment. You are quite accurate in noting that regions do jealously insist on the authenticity of their specific variants much as the wine growing regions of France or Italy scrupulously insist on their appellations. These distinctions reflect a culinary unity that is passing and a memory of how things were done by our grandparents and great grandparents (and even older generations).

barbecuing is a common verb in the northeast US. it is used synonymously with grilling/cooking outdoors, more or less. and we don't care if southerners think we're doing it wrong, but do think its cute that they get so worked up about the authenticity of a dish that exists in wonderful variety around the world.

Although it is my understanding that you have the facts correct about nouns, verbs, sauces and styles, I have been a Grillmaster for many years, and residing in Northern California, what you did not mention was the distinct segment of the population that doesn't care what kind of meat it is, as long as it's not covered in sauce!

Chicken, beef, pork, lamb, goat, sausage...out here, bbq is truly an art form, because it's hard to cover up a poor grilling job when you can't hide the taste in the flavor-of-the-day sauce, and it's a little more heart-smart!

I am disapointed that you did not mention Indian Springs, Georgia, a short distance above Macon towards Atlanta. It has been a long time since I was there in the 1930's and I never missed stoping there when I could. At the time I was there, they had been there for a very long time, more than a hundred years operated by the same family. Could it be they are no longer there?
If you are writing history, this would be a good place to start. Your aricle would also be a good place to sort out the language used by everyone locally with different meanings. Fire in the hole doesn't do the job. At the time I was there, the Barbecue Pit(s) was built to cook pork using the fat dripping from the meat to provide the heat in the bottom of the pit for combustion but exhausted in a way that only smoke contacts the meat so that the meat is not burned. This taked large, special designed , and constructed units and I don't know how the grills that latter became popular, and were in everyone's back yard, got to be called Barbecue's. But that is what happened.
And you didn't even mention Georgia in your article. That is where it all started, and you need to go back. You would love Indian Springs, if it is still there. And if it is not, buy it, if still possible, and start it up again, and fly the food daily to Manhattan, and make a lot of money.

The standard BBQ sauce for pork in North Alabama(including Huntsville) is vinegar based and close to what the article described for Eastern North Carolina sauce. The writer seems to have been confused by the white sauce which is served with the BBQ chicken.

There is nothing nostalgic "endangered" about the old American custom of cooking meat outdoors. It is a century-old custom of Brazil and other South American countries as well, and here to stay. I would not say the same for Europe where is merely a stupid copy-cat fashion of the moment.

There is a difference between BBQ and barbecue. One can be used interchangeably with grilling while the other is both an art form and a culture. You don't go to a local BBQ place here in Texas and ask them about their "grilling" because they will just laugh.

This is in no way meant to imply that barbecue from different countries isn't any good. All I mean by it is that there is a difference between BBQ (the Southern variety) and barbecue. A difference in terms of the culture and appreciation that have grown up with the smoke and the fires, the technique and the sauce. However, if you are trying to argue that there is no difference, or are trying to talk down to southerners and their appreciation for BBQ, then all I can say is You Don't Know Bar-B-Q.

If you are ever in Austin, TX and have an afternoon to spare, head down to the Austin Community College campus at Rio Grande St. There is a little shack on 12th street between West Ave and Rio Grande St. The new of the place escapes me but all I know is that the place is open from 10am to 2 pm on weekdays and there is a sign that says "Don't need no teef to eay my beef." Inside, you will find the sketchiest of dives and some of the greatest BBQ around. Then tell me if you have ever had anything like it anywhere else in the world.

Beyond any of that however, Texas most definitely makes the Best BBQ in the South, in the Nation and in the World.